This invention relates to an improved novel low styrene emission vinyl ester resin formulation which exhibits desirable adhesion characteristics in fiber-reinforced applications.
Vinyl ester resins (hereinafter VER) are useful in corrosion resistant applications such as pipes, vessels, scrubbers and smoke stacks. Also, VER are utilized in the fabrication of glass fiber-reinforced products. The VER are admixed with styrene as a reactive diluent to reduce the viscosity of the VER. The presence of styrene in the VER composition results in the emission of styrene vapors into the work atmosphere. Due to the increased attention given to styrene from the industrial hygiene point of view, several methods of reducing the styrene emission have been described in the art. One such method, described in Nylander, U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,826, includes the addition to the unsaturated polyester/styrene composition of a film-forming additive such as paraffin wax to inhibit the vaporization of the styrene.
Although the paraffin wax provides a desirable decrease in styrene vapor emission, it has been found that the paraffin wax additive results in a substantial loss in the adhesive properties of the VER to the reinforcing medium.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a low styrene emission VER composition which exhibits adhesion properties comparable to or improved over a VER composition without the paraffin wax additive.